Payment-in-advance meter.



G. HEELEY.

' PAYMENT IN ADVANCE METER.

'APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. I932.

1,235,686. atented Aug. 7,1917.

2 SHEETS'SHEET l.

e. HEELEY.

PAYMENT IN ADVANCE METER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20: I9l2.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- srn'rns PATENT; ormOQ GEORGE HEELEY, OF PARIS, CE,ASSIGNORTO COMPAGNIE POUR LA FABRICATION DES COMPTEURS ET MATERIELDUSINES A GAZ, OF PARIS, FRANCE. a

PAYMEliTT-iN-ADVANGE METER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

Application filed September 20, 1912. .Seria1No.721 ,482. i 1

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Gnonen HEELEY, a.

citizen'of the French Republic, residing at Paris, in France, haveinvented certaln new and useful Improvements in Payment-in The inventionchiefly comprises a difierential ,set of gear or toothed wheels, thesatellites or loose pinions of which rotate to the right or to the leftaccording as they are driven either by the wheels which themselvesreceive theirmotion from the'measuring device, or by coins which havingbeen successively introduced into the apparatus,

are received in a drum, rotate with the latter when the handle isoperated, and move respectively to the extent of one tooth, the ratchetwheel secured to one of the wheels of the satellites or pinion gear.

.opening of the valve operated by a lever.

. lutions of the measuring device,'and conse- The first coin introducedbrings about the which in its turn, is shifted by a driving finger madein one piece with the loose pinions. Whenever. a .new coin is introducedafter the first one, the finger 1s moved farther and farther away fromthe lever, so'

that the angular distance separatingit from the latter, is in proportionto the number of coins which have successively acted on the mechanism. I1

As the meter delivers gas, the loose pinions, and consequently thedriving finger travel, in the direction opposite to that of the movementwhich has been imparted to them by the coins, a distance which isobviously in proportion to the number of revoquently to the volumesupplied. When the finger thus moved by the measuring device, returns tothe position which it occupied beforetheintroduction of the first coin,itpromitting to the loose piniontrain, the movea ment of the measuringdev1ce,'1n such mans duces a closing of the valve. It will be seen thatin these conditions it is possible to regulate the ratio of the toothedwheels transner that the valve, once opened by the introduction of oneor more coins, would not rangements which have a great importance fromthe point of view of the adaptation of the mechanism to any kinds ofcoins, of its safety against fraud and of easy access to the partsliable to be stopped by a deformed C0111. I

' These arrangementsare as follows 1 A combination and amethod offixing. of the drum, of the plate carrying the coin slot and of a safetybolt preventing'the return backward of the coins introduced.

- 2. The arrangement of the recorder of the number of coins introducedIn the accompanying drawings given by wayof examplez Figures 1 and 2show respectively in front and rear elevation, in perspective, aconstruction of the improved mechanism according to this 1nvent1on.

of the mechanism.

Figs. t and 5 are cross-sections of the mechanism, the parts being inposition ready to. receive acoin (Fig. 4-) or, after having received acoin, having experienced an an gular movementwhich must bring about themovement of a. tooth of the ratchet wheel secured to the loose pinionsystem (Fig. 5).

Fig. 6. is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, the drum of the arrangementhaving been changed for adapting the advance payment mechanimn to coinsof a smaller diameter.

The mechanism is constituted by a differential gear, the wheels21, 22,of whichare keyed respectively to the spindle 2 which the gears 23connect to the measuring device of the meter, and to the ratchet wheels11. I Thewheels 21, 22, gear with loose 'pinions 24, the axes of whichare oppositely arranged within the-drum 25 carrying numbered divisionsand also the cam 26 controlling the gas valve" at-3O to the frame of themechanism so as to j keep the valve 27 open so long as the volume offluid corresponding to the number .of

27 of the meter. The cam 26 actson the rod 28 of the latter by means ofa. fork 29 hinged coins introduced into the apparatus has not beenexhausted.

'Dmm,c0z'1t chute and safety Zeoer.-The

drum 1 arranged at,thesbottom.portion of the mechanism parallel to thespindle 2 of tl1e difl'erential gear is arranged so. as totbe easilyremovable. =Tothat .end, each- 0f its ends rotates in two half bearings4, 5, one -..-forming part ofzthe frame 6-ofthe appara- H his, and theotherof the plate 7. carrying the coinchute Suandsecuredin itsturn tothe .frame .by-screws. By removing the said screws, it is thereforepossibleto withdraw simultaneously theplate 7. and the drum 1. vThe.result, is that, if theHmechanismis I .stoppedby, acom. ofexcessive'slzeor by a deformed coinpintroduced.lwith: force, it is.lveryeasy toiget access to .the-idruml 1- for .I'QlTlOYlDfJthQdefectivecolli, without touch- I drum 1 andzthe coin zchute 8,. and toreplace 30 ;and atlow cost, all the. parts other .than the .ingthe otherparts: Moreover, ifthemech- .anismbuilt for receiving a, coin of a giventype, is to be adapted for C01I1S of different d1mens1ons,,. 1t; 1ssufficient to remove the them bytwo other-parts of shape and dimen-:sions suitable for-the new coin to .be used.

Thisachangercan be made in a fewseconds drum 1 andztheucoin chuteremaining in place.

By way of example Figs. -il-.-6.;show: the

;:-Figs..4.and-, mechanism designed for coins of 30.mm.'.in diameter,and'Fig. 6 the :samemechanism convertedfor coins of only 15 mm. afterthe;drum land the. coin chute Shave beenreplaced. As shown in theiFig. 6thecoimdrrim. corresponding to the coin of 15.1mm. is provided with aprojectionfi) with ,which .engagesandabout which pivots the part 10while it rotates .with the drum 7,

.1. iThisprojection enables. the coinof ..mm. toengage with ;the teethofthe ratchet wheel 11 to thesame extentas the .coin of mm.andsconsequently to advance, like 50.

tent of;one toothin spite of :its smaller the latter, the said,ratchetwheel to the exdiameter.

;The drum 1 1s moreovercombined with an engagement lever 12 which. is adouble acting one. :.1Thisv lever, first of all, makes im- -possible the:knownzfraud consisting. in operating theanechanism by means of a coun-.ter; or thelike. replacing the ordinary com,

- arranged in sucha manner that it couldop- 1 sired, and. be withdrawn.afterward. through .the coin chute 8 after the idrum- 1 has been erate.the mechanism as many. times as de- .flrioved'..backward.

.:In thesecondplace,.the same'lever 12 prevents the pawl 13 oftheratchetwheel 11, 1

from being raised by a hook or other suitable-tool, which would preventthe valve after. a suitable. angular movement of the said drum, engages.with a-stop notch 16 (Fig. 1), thus preventing any1return of thedrum: 1. and of the. coin, whether good or -.bad, that it may-contain.If the drum 1 is turned farther,. the arm 12 arrivesin front .of arecess madein the drum, which enables :the. lever 1 12: to become-:completely disengaged and to returnto its initial position-underitheaction :of the spring 14. But this disengagement takes placeonly after. the

.. .ratchet..wheel" 11, havingcadvanced to the extent of one tooth, isagain heldv by itspawl .-13.- in such a position that .it prevents any.movement backward of the coincontained in :the drum 1.

. It is therefore necessary, in i order to enableithedrum 1 toreturnbackward, that it :should have. completedcthewhole of its travel,even ifvno'coin has been introduced ..into it.

In thesev conditions, it is obvious that any coin, arranged .or not forthe purpose of fraud, cannot: be withdrawn after 'itwhas acteclon theratchet wheel: 11, because, long before-the .movement when .the. saidaction -begins, its return will be rendered impossiblebytheengagementlever-12 which, by holding the drum 1,.will hold the coinitself.

If; after-thedrum: l is engaged,-it isleft in that position, the coinwill remain in the mechanism. If, on the contrary, the drumis caused totravel the, last portion of its travel, the coin will be projected intothe receiving box, so that in caseof afraudulent attempt, (theagentintrusted with collecting, will find the proof either in themechanismorsin' the 7 box of the apparatus.

:The second. of the two functions of the .lever 121s. played by its heelor -projection 18 which, when the mechanism is in the position ofrest,.engages with the locking pawl 13 which. cannot'thereforeube raisedunless the heel 18a has been previously disengaged.

In order to produce the said disengagement, v.1t is indispensable to.turn the. drum. 1 toa certainextent, in order'that it should raise :thearm 12 of the lever and: thus move: the heel18 until it isentirelyoutside the locking-pawl 13 (Fig.6). Assoonas the drum .1. has beenturned to a slight extent, theslot of the same will be no longeropposite the chute 8 which will be thus closed, withoutit being possibleto introduce into the mechanism any tool for forcing it.

The above description can be summed up as follows:

When the mechanism is in the position of rest (Fig. 4), it is impossibleto raise the locking pawl 13 by a hook or any other tool, the said pawlbeing locked by the heel or projection 18 of the lever 12. When theprojection 18 is disengaged, the introduc tion of a tool is renderedimpossible, owing to the movement which it became necessary to impart tothe drum 1 for. producing the said disengagement.

It must be pointed out-and this constitutes one of the characteristicfeatures of the apparatusthat the device for returning the engagementlever'12 does not contain any spring adapted for the purpose because itis effected by the spring 1 1 of the locking pawl 13 of the ratchetwheel 11, the said spring thus playing a double part.

T0taZ2'zer.The totalizer 19 for recording the number of coinsintroduced, instead of being combined, as in ordinary mechanisms, withthe other parts of the apparatus, is completely independent of the same.It is arranged on the spindle 2 common to the loose pinion system 22 andto the ratchet wheel 11, and is entirely outside the'frame 6 in whichare inclosed the other parts of the mechanism, so that it is sufficientto with draw one or two pins, in order to enable all the figure drums 19as well as their pinions 20 to be removed in order to bring theminstantaneously to 0 or to any other figure.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a payment in advance meter comprising a diflerential gear, thecombination of a drum adapted to receive coins, a ratchet wheel drivenby said drum through the intermediary of a coin, a tappet on the saiddrum, an arm or lever adapted to b acted upon by the tappet, a springexercising antagonistic action on the said arm or lever,,a locking pawlfor the ratchet wheel adapted to be engaged by the aforesaid arm orlever when the mechanism is at rest, and means for operating the gasvalve.

2. In a payment in advance meter comprising a differential gear, thecombination of a drum adapted to receive coins, a ratchet wheel drivenby said drum through the intermediary of a coin, atappet on the saiddrum, an arm or lever adapted to be acted I upon by the tappet, anengagement projection on the said arm or lever, a locking pawl for theratchet wheel adapted to be engaged by the said projection on the leverwhen the mechanism is at rest, a notch on said pawl, an antagonisticspring: acting on the lever, and means for'operating the gas valve.

3. In a payment in advance meter comprising a differential gear,thecombination of a drum adapted to receive coins, a ratchet wheeldriven by said drum through the intermediary of a coin, a tappet on'thesaid drum, an arm or lever adapted to be acted upon by the tappet, anengagement projection on the said arm or lever, a locking pawl for theratchet wheel adapted to be engaged by the said projection on the leverwhen the mechanism is at rest, a notch on said pawl, an antagonisticspring acting on-the lever, a

detachable supporting plate containing the coin introducing slot andforming bearings for supporting the drum, and means for operating thegas valve.

'4. In a payment in advance meter comprising a difl'erential gear, thecombination of a drum adapted to receive coins, a ratchet wheel drivenby said drum through the intermediary of a coin, a tappet on the saiddrum, an arm. or lever adapted to be acted In testimony whereof I havesigned my100;

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. GEORGE I-IEELEY.

Witnesses: 1

'Gnonons BONNEVIL, LUoIEN MEMMINGER,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O."

